Asian cricket giants need to perform better in Australia and New Zealand

After Sri Lanka and India bit the dust in their respective ODI series recently in New Zealand and Australia, another Asian powerhouse Pakistan too suffered a jolt. The Misbah-ul-Haq led side lost the first ODI match against New Zealand at Wellington on Saturday.

New Delhi: After Sri Lanka and India bit the dust in their respective ODI series recently in New Zealand and Australia, another Asian powerhouse Pakistan too suffered a jolt. The Misbah-ul-Haq led side lost the first ODI match against New Zealand at Wellington on Saturday.

Pakistan who were bundled out for a paltry 210 runs, lost the match by a whooping seven wicket margin. Their loss highlighted another blow to Asian teams who are gearing up to perform well ahead of the ICC World Cup starting from 14th February.

Sri Lanka lost the seven-match ODI series against New Zealand with a scoreline showing 2-5. India meanwhile failed to register a single victory in the ongoing ODI tri-series involving Australia and England. India were ousted from the tri-series on Friday after England enforced a commanding victory to reach the finals.

The manner in which the Asian teams have lost recently is a worrying sign. Most of these losses have been rather one-sided and that casts a shadow towards the chances Asian teams have in winning the coveted World Cup trophy.

World Cup hosts Australia and New Zealand meanwhile have taken the game to another level after some resounding performances in limited overs game off late.

Asian teams have been off colour with both bat and ball, and Pakistan's loss on Saturday added further depth. The pace and bounce assisted pitches will provide a stiff test for the likes of Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.

For now there are two weeks left as all these three nations will hope to raise their game and provide a say in the upcoming World Cup.